International Space Station Status Report #12, 04-03-2005

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington March 4, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-4769)

James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT: SS05-012

The focus for the International Space Station crew this week was the
arrival of the Progress cargo spacecraft. Expedition 10 Commander Leroy
Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov spent some of the early part of
the week preparing for the Wednesday docking of the unpiloted Russian cargo
carrier, and much of yesterday and today unloading it.

The Progress docked at 3:10 p.m. EST, Wednesday with more than
two-point-three tons of equipment and supplies, including propellant, oxygen
and air, and water. This is the 17th Progress to go to the Station.

A 160-day supply of food is on the Progress, as well as spare parts and
equipment for the Russian environmental control system and toilet. Cameras
and telephoto lenses to photograph thermal protection tiles on the Space
Shuttle Discovery during its Return to Flight mission in May were also
delivered. The cargo includes a new heat exchanger for the U.S Quest
airlock, which should allow resumption of U.S. spacewalks from the Station.

Early-week preparations involved Sharipov setting up and practicing with a
manual docking system for use in the unlikely event of a problem with the
automated docking system. It was not needed. The automated system functioned
well.

Unloading activities included entering items of the cargo into the Inventory
Management System, a computerized bar code system that keeps track of items
aboard the Station.

In preparation for Progress activities, crew members shifted their sleep
period later, getting their wakeup tone at about 6:30 a.m. EST instead of
the standard 1 a.m. EST much of the week. They will return gradually to
their usual schedule.

Chiao and Sharipov continued daily exercise sessions, did scheduled
maintenance on Station systems and participated in several medical and other
scientific experiments.

The crew talked with high school students in the Levelland, Texas, area on
Monday. Late yesterday, Chiao radioed congratulations to Steve Fossett, who
completed a three-day, non-stop, solo around-the-world flight without
refueling. For comparison, Chiao and Sharipov circle the Earth more than 15
times a day, as they have for four months.

Information about crew activities on the Space Station, future launch dates
and Station sighting opportunities is available on the Internet at:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Internet, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

-end-


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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info